Pateited feb



110. 752,116. PAT-BETH!) FEB. 16, 1901. 1. 1'. c. 11 M. sm'm. 1 11003111111 011 WALL covmme MATERIAL.

APPLIOATIQE FILED JAE. 23. 1903.

F0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Batented February 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. C. SMITH AND MICHAEL SMITH, OF PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY.

FLOORING OR WALL-COVERING MATERIAL- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 752.116, dated. February 16, 1904.

Application filed January 23, 1903. Serial No. 140,250. (No specimens.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN J C. SMITH and Mrounnr. SMITH, both citizens of the United States, and residents of the city and county of Passaic, in' the State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flooring or all-Covering Material, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a new and useful material for the covering of floors, walls, ceilings. panels, 620., and as a substitute for inlaid-wood or parquetry \vork generally.

It has for its object the production of a material of the above description which will be unaffected by changes of temperature and resistant to the action of water or moisture.

inlaid-wood or parquetry work possesses the disadvantage of being liable to warping, twisting or buckling under the influence of moisture or water or changes of temperature. The material produced according to our invention is perfectly resistant to the above-mentioned influences and preserves its shape and remains unchanged throughout all ordinary conditions of wear.

Our covering or paneling material consists of fibrous sheets thoroughly and uniformly permeated with hard and Waterproof gums -or resins or gum-resins and compressed until it assumes a compact, hard, and dense texture and of a hardness superior to that of the hard woods usually employed for flooring and which may be cut or stamped into any desired shape.

Our invention further consists in a covering or paneling material of the character described and supported upon and attached to a base material consisting of a sheet of material unafiected by moisture or atmospheric changes. The material we prefer to employ for the base material is a sheet or fabric composed of mineral fibers, such as asbestos, or a sheet having its main constituent of such material.

In order that our invention may be fully understood, we would refer to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a plan view of a piece of our improved flooring or wall-covering material. Fig. 2 is a section thereof. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a section ofthe latter.

The manner in which we carry out our'invention is as follows: Sheets of absorbent fibrous material, such as blotting-paper, of about one-eighth of an inch in thickness are immersed in a bath of commercial white shellac varnish contained in a strong iron tank capable of resisting considerable pressure and provided with a strong air-tight cover. A suitable number of sheets of the above-described character are placed in a tank of the above description containing a sufiicient quantity of the varnish to completely cover the sheets. The tank is then closed air-tight, and air is forced into the tank from the top until a pressure 'is developed therein of about fifty pounds to the square inch. The air-pressure forces the fluid varnish into the pores of the absorbent sheets and completely saturates and impregnates the same with the varnish. After a suitable time has elapsed to enable the varnish to permeate to the interior of the porous sheets the sheets are removed from the tank and allowed to dry for a period of about twenty-four hours. When thoroughly dry, the sheets are subjected to a very high pressure (of at least four hundred pounds to the square inch) between metal plates. This pressure condenses the saturated sheets and converts them into a material having the characteristics described. The elfect of the high pressure is to complete and insure the thorough impregnation of the sheets by causing the varnish to permeate throughout the inmost pores and interstices of the same. It also unites the fibers of the sheets and compacts them until the material assumes a compact, hard and dense texture perfectly resistant to-the action of water or moisture. From sheets so prepared plaques, figures, or tesseree are cut or stamped in the required forms and configurations to build up any desired design. The cutting out of the plaques, figures, or tesseree is preferably done by means of cutting or punching dies, The fibrous sheets may have been previously colored to any desired shades or tints, so that a colored design maybe produced by selecting from the differently-colored sheets plaques, figures, or tesserae to build up a multicolored figure or design. The material so prepared presents the ad vantage ovcrparquetry and inlaid work of hardwood in that the cutting of the plaques, figures. or tesserac may be done by dies, whereas the production of the tesserae for wooden parque*ryfloors requires the employment of skilled labor and the use of fret-saws, since the thin wood usually used for such floors cannot be cut out by means of punching-dies on account of its tendency to split, crack, or fracture when submitted to the action of a die. Sheets prepared according to our invention cut clean and sharp like metal when subjected to the action of a die or punch.

Plaques, figures, or tesserae prepared above-described manner are suitably arranged according to any desired pattern or design upon a base or sheet of fibrous mineral nonconducting material, such as asbestos, pre pared as follows. An asbestos sheet is saturated in a solution of resin-dissolved in gasolene. lution are six pounds of resin to one gallon of gasolene. This solution is placed in an iron tank capable of withstanding considerable pressure and provided with an air-tight cover. A number of asbestos sheets are immersed in the resin solution contained in a tank of the above-described character, and the cover is fastened down air-tight. Air is then forced into the top of the tank until a pressure of about fifty pounds per square inch is developed therein. This air-pressure forces'the solution into the pores of the asbestos sheets. After this treatment has been continued a length of time sufiicient to cause the thorough and uniform permeation of the sheets by the solution the sheets are removed and hung up to dry. At the ordinary temperature and under average atmospheric conditions this drying operation requires from three to four days. By suspending the impregnated sheets in a chamber heated to a temperature of about 150 Fahrenheit the drying is accomplished in twent four hours. The sheets dried in the abovedescrihed manner are then placed between steam-heated platens, with a sheet of damp cotton cloth interposed between the platens and the sheets to prevent the adhesion of the latter to the platens. The sheets are then subjected to a pressure between the heated platens of about four hundred pounds to the square inch. The heat of the platens should be sufficient to melt the resin in the inmost interstices of the sheets. After the pressure and heat have been maintained for a suflicient length of time to accomplish the thorough impregnation and compression of the sheets they are removed from the press. Sheets of material so prepared are much stifi'er and harder than oak wood of the same thickness and are thoroughly resistant to the action of moisture and atmospheric influences and will not warp or twist. These sheets form a perfect material for a basis upon which to'arrange the sat The preferableproportions of such soare imposed thereon, with their edges in contact there is no curling or raising of the edges of the tcsserze and no pullingaway of the same from the base sheet or support, such as occurs when the tesserae areimposed upon other materialsuch as wood, for instance. The plaques, figures, or tesserze are suitably arranged upon a sheet of asbestos material preparedin the above-described manner, so as to form a desired pattern or deslgn. This may conveniently'be obtained by the use of the apparatus illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which consists of a base-board of hard wood L, provided around two ofv its edges with a raised rim J. The plaques, figures, or tesserae are suitably arranged upon said baseboard, so as to form the desired pattern or design.

When a section of parquet floor is to be made according to our invention, the first thing to be done is to cut out a number of the groundplaqucs B. Then the figures O are cut out of the ground-plaques. If the ground-plaquesB are blue, the figures C must be cut from a sheet of another suitable color. The two cutsone out of the ground, the other for the figure-being made with the same cutting or punching die, it becomes evident that the figure C cut out of the sheet of a certain color will fit exactly into the figure cut of the groundplaque. On this principle three or more figures may be cut out of the ground-plaque and corresponding figures of different colors be set in. It will be self-evident to artisans in the line of making parquet floors that the cutting dies or punches must be made with minute accuracy, which is especially necessary in the shapes of the ground-plaques and the different parts of a border. Every piece must fit mathematically to a given outline of a section.

The floor of a room may be covered by joining a number of sections together as a whole.

Therefore every section must fit the other exactly in size and match the design of theother sections. When a required number of the ground-plaques B, border-sections A, and figures C are provided, we assemble them on the above-mentioned board, as shown by Fig. 3 of the drawings, as follows: First, we lay a sheet of oiled paper over the surface of the board, the object of which will presently appear. In a design as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings we start with the border A, pressing it close to the rim J, (shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings,) which rim J serves as a guard.

Then the ground-plaques B are set close to the 'rim J in the places designated. Each piece the faces of theplaques, tesserae, &c.

with a coating of the samevarnish, and thecoated surface of said sheet is applied to the coated tessarae before the varnish is dried and while it is in a sticky condition. The coated surfaces having been placed in contact, the whole, including the board, is subjected to a pressure of about three hundred pounds to the square inch for the period of about fifteen min utes, so that the varnish may dry sufliciently to hold the base-sheet and the plaques, &c. to-

gether. The board and sheets are now removed from the press and allowed to dry for about an hour or until the varnish is fully har'del h av when the board is removed from the built-up sheet. In removing the assembling-board L the fine headless nails or pins will pull throfugh Be ore placing the tesserae upon the assembling-board the latter is covered with a sheet of oiled papeer to prevent the varnish applied to the tesserae and asbestos sheet from oozing through the joints of thetesserae and causing the same to adhere to the assembling-board. After removal of the built-up sheet from the board the same is again compressed between platens and heated to a temperature of about 200 Fahrenheit. A smooth thin sheet of brass or steel slightly oiled on one surface is interposed between the heated platen and the designesurface of the sheet. The heat of the press will soften the shellacabsorbed into the pores of thepaper, and the high pressure will serve to further condense it, while the smooth metal, sheet will impart a polished surface to the design. When the pressure has been continued for a suflicient length of time, the sheet is removed and when cold and dry is in condition to be applied to the floor or wall or for use as a panel, as desired, The material so formed is of a hard, dense, and compact" and horn-like texture thoroughly resistant to atmospheric influences, is waterproof, will not warp or twist, and wears much better than hard wood. v a

It is to be understood that our invention is not restricted to the use of shellac or resin as a material for impregnating the tesserae or asbestos sheets. Any other hard and waterproof gum may be substituted without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We have discovered that gasolene is the most eflicient solvent for resin, since it completely dissolves the resin and gives a clear fluid solution, whereas other solvents, such as naphtha, &c., do not thoroughly dissolve the resin, but give a cloudy solution, the. resin being merely suspended in finely-dividedconwdition throughout the liquid and not completely dissolved. v f

Hating thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent.

1. The herein-described material for flooring, panels, &c.,'consisting of porous material thoroughly impreghated throughout all portionsthereof with a; waterproof gumor resin,

and having a dense, hard and compact tex' ture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influ nc 2. The herein-described material for flQOIfr ing, panels, &c., consisting of porous material t o ugh y impreg r ug u all n tions thereof with a solution of waterproof gum or resin, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences.

The her e ri e m t al. f rfloo ing, pane s 8w, co si ting o noro a a thoroughly impregnated throughout all por: tions thereof with shellac, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences. V

4. The herein-described material for flooring, panels, & c., consisting of an absorbent paper sheet thoroughly impregnated throughout all portions thereof with awaterproof gum or resin, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences.

5. The herein-described foundation or base sheet for inlaid flooring or panel material, consisting of fibrous mineral material thoroughly impregnated throughout all portions thereof with a waterproof gum or resin, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences.

6. The herein described foundation or base sheet for inlaid flooring or panel material, consisting mainly of asbestos thoroughly impregnated throughout all portions thereof a waterproof gum .or resin, and having a dense, hard and. compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences p --7. The herein-described foundation'or base sheet for inlaid flooring or panel material, eon- .sisting of. an asbestos sheet thoroughly impregnated throughout all portions. thereof with a solution of resin in gasolene, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric influences.

8. The herein-described floor and panel ma- -IIO terial, consisting of a surface of fibrous material thoroughly impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric changes, and a base consisting of a fibrous mineral material thoroughly impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and having a dense hard and compact texture. I

9. The herein-described floor and panel material, consisting of a surface of fibrous material thoroughly impregnated with a solution of waterproof gum or resin, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric changes, and a base consisting of a fibrous mineral material thoroughly impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and having a dense hard and compact texture.

10. The herein-described floor and panel material, consisting of a surface of fibrous material thoroughly impregnated with shellac varnish, and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and resistant to water and atmospheric changes, and a base consisting'of a fibrous mine a1 material thoroughly impregnated with awaterproof gum or resin and having a dense hard and compact texture.

1 1.: The herein-described floor and panel material, consisting of stamped plaques, figures or tesserze of fibrous material impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and a base on which said plaques, &c., are secured, said base consisting of a sheet of fibrous material impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and compressed to a dense hard and compact texture.

12. The herein-described floor and panel material, consisting of stamped plaques, figures.

or tessereepof fibrous material impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and having a dense, hard and compact texture, and a base on which said'plaques, &c., are secured, said base consisting of a sheetof asbestos material impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and compressed to a dense hard and compact texture.

1'3. The herein-described floor and panel material, consisting of stamped plaques, figures or tesserac, of fibrous material impregnated witha waterproof gum or resin and having a dense, hard'and compact texture, and a base on which said plaques, &c., are secured, said base consisting of a sheet of fibrous mineral material impregnated with a solution of waterproof ghm or resin and compressed to a dense hard and compact texture.

l-t. Thel rein-describedfloorandpanelmaterial, consisting of stamped plaques, figures or tesserzepof fibrous material impregnated with a waterproof gum orresin and having a dense, hardand compact texture, and a base on which said plaques, &c., are secured, said base consisting of a sheet of asbestos material impregnated with a waterproof gum or resin and compressed to a dense hard and compact texture.

JOHN J. C. SMITH. MICHAEL SMITH.

Witnesses:

HEXRY C. WORKMAN, J. GJRIEEN. 

